Kieran Shanahan will step down as state public safety secretary in less than a week. Shanahan was among then-Governor-elect Pat McCrory's first cabinet appointees.

In his resignation letter, Shanahan said he told the governor last December that his service hinged on two factors: his legal career and his wife's military career. Lisa Shanahan is receiving a Naval promotion to Rear Admiral and he said being away from his law practice was proving to be a challenge. McCrory says he understands that.

"His focus wasn't going to be able to stay on this job the way it needed to be..and we both agreed that would be the best move for the future," McCrory says. "We knew it was going to be a tough, tough road and after six months we felt this would be a good time since the legislative session was out."

Deputy secretaries will run the public safety department as a team. McCrory says he does not have a successor in mind yet.